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The Pancyprian Medical Association considers the findings of the Auditor General on the General Health Insurance Scheme to be extremely worrying. In a press conference held on Thursday, the President of PIS, Dr Petros Agathangelou said that the report of the Auditor General's Office confirmed the initial observations of PIS, as submitted already in 2016 after a thorough study and called on all relevant bodies to faithfully implement the relevant legislation.
The President of PIS extensively listed the issues that PIS considers to be in need of improvement in order to protect the GHS, which concern the adoption of statutory regulations for the integration of hospitals in the GHS, the inadequacy of comprehensive supervisory control by an independent authority, the inadequacy of the overall budget, the failure to cover essential services and basic needs of the Cypriot patient, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, the absence of medical protocols and clinical guidelines, and the lack of safeguards to prevent abuse.
PIS's request, he said, is to separate the responsibility between the formulation of the GHS policy and the proper implementation of the system. Its view is that the state should act as an independent supervisory authority and have the responsibility to monitor the degree of effectiveness of the GHS. Also, according to the President of PIS, an independent competent authority and not the OAI should monitor and control the way the System and its reimbursements are implemented.
Specifically, on the issue that arose with doctors abusing the GESY, he noted that the irregularities detected are less than 0.01% and the entire medical community cannot be "victimized" for infinitesimal cases of abuse of the system. He added that the PIS also condemns abuses, where they are proven, while the authorities must take up the matter.
Dr. Agathangelou also noted that the Auditor General's report makes reference to 67 doctors who are paid extremely high amounts, out of the 3,000 providers operating in the Health System. Therefore, he stressed, these are the exception and not the rule. He also referred to the heterogeneity observed in "contracts with opaque procedures", which "cause a feeling of injustice among doctors contracted to the system", who are offended and harmed by any abuses, "whether they come from individual colleagues or from the absence of effective control, both at the level of providers and beneficiaries", he said.
Regarding public hospitals, PIS said that they are a key player in the implementation of the GHS and their importance was evident in the management of the pandemic.
"The reorganization and modernization of public hospitals are necessary elements for the progress of autonomy and to form the backbone of the GESY," he said, adding that on this issue, PIS has submitted a series of proposals with 17 points to the President of the Republic.
Furthermore, the President said that "the medical community wants the implementation of a health system that ensures the accessibility, quality and efficiency of the services provided, with the necessary budget to ensure its sustainability in the long term."
To do this, PIS recommends the introduction of minimum criteria for professional training (CPD), introduction of clinical guidelines and protocols, introduction of specific quality standards, conducting independent inspections and clinical audits to evaluate and supervise the services provided, and certification of health care providers to ensure the quality of health care services.
The President of the Association expressed his concern, stating that the body responsible for the GHS "ignores and apparently disregards the recommendations of institutions such as the Audit Office and the Legal Service of the Republic, but also misinterprets legislative provisions", while the corrective measures submitted by PIS are delayed in their implementation. He noted that the pandemic cannot be an alibi for the long-standing problems and pathologies affecting the health system. The medical community, he said, wants to contribute to the sustainability of the GHS, "promoting the health of citizens and at the same time defending the dignity of doctors."
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